Material handling container with openable sidewall

ABSTRACT

A wire mesh container comprises a plurality of upstanding sidewalls connected to a horizontally disposed bottom wall to define a storage compartment therein. Parallel track guides are disposed along the vertically disposed edges of one of the sidewalls and at the top of the container to permit such sidewall to be moved from its normally upstanding and closed position to a horizontally disposed and open position at the top of the container.

United States Patent Allegri et a1.

[ Feb. 18, 1975 MATERIAL HANDLING CONTAINER WITH OPENABLE SIDEWALL Inventors: Theodore H. Allegri, Peoria; John M. Womble, Morton; Norman Cannon, Peoria, all of 111.

Assignee:

Filed: Dec. 4, 1972 Appl. No.: 311,825

US. Cl 220/19, 211/126, 206/509,

206/511, 206/512, 206/513 Int. Cl B65d 21/00, B65d 7/20 Field of Search. 220/19, 97 A, DIG. 2DIG. 15,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,232 5/1951 Young, Jr. 211/126 2,579,655 12/1951 2,652,174 9/1953 2,735,568 2/1956 Bitney 220/97 A 2,898,122 8/1959 Beckner 220/97 A Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111. 1

2,916,293 12/1959 Lang 211/126 2,923,428 2/1960 Averill 211/126 3,136,443 6/1964 Muckler 211/126 3,240,351 3/1966 Weiss et a1 220/19 3,245,572 4/1966 Mushy cl 2!]. 220/19 3,704,791 12/1972 Young, Jr. 211/126 Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Joseph M. Moy Att0rney,-Agenl, or Firm-Phillips, Moore, Weissenberger Lempio & Strabala [5 7] ABSTRACT A wire mesh container comprises a plurality of upstanding sidewalls connected to a horizontally disposed bottom wall to define a storage compartment therein. Parallel track guides are disposed along the vertically disposed edges of one of the sidewalls and at the top of the container to permit such sidewall to bemoved from its normally upstanding and closed position to a horizontally disposed and open position at the top of the container.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures sum- 10F 2 PATENTED FEB 81975 1 MATERIAL HANDLING CONTAINER WITH OPENABLE SIDEWALL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Manufacturing plants, having production line capabilities, normally utilize open top tubs or like containers for transporting various parts in-plant. Conventional tubs comprise a rectangular box section having solid, rigid sidewalls and are adapted to be stacked on each other for storage purposes. In such a stacked position, the parts retained in one of the lower tubs are inaccessible and can only be retrieved upon removal of the tubs which are stacked thereon. In addition, many such parts must be cleaned by a washing process or the like which necessitates removal of the parts from a tub and subsequent replacement therein after such cleaning.

SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION side, even when stacked under one or more other containers. The container comprises a horizontally disposed bottom wall and a plurality of vertically disposed sidewalls connected thereto to define a storage compartment in the container. Continuous track guide means, disposed vertically along at least one of the sidewalls and horizontally at the top of the container, cooperate with slide means on such one sidewall to permit it to be moved from its closed position to an open position at the top of the container. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the bottom and sidewalls each comprise wire mesh screening to facilitate cleaning of parts while they are retained in the container.

BRIEF'DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating a container embodying this invention;

FIG. 2- is a partial sectional view taken in the direction of arrows IIII in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken in the direction of arrows III-III and IVIV, respectively, in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 ia an isometric view illustrating two of the containers stacked on a conventional tub-like container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates an open top material handling container comprising a horizontally disposed bottom wall 11 and four vertically disposed sidewalls 12,13,14 and 15, connected together to the bottom wall to define a hexahedral shaped storage compartment therein. The bottom wall or floor comprises a rectangular frame comprising rigid bars 16 suitably secured together and to a pair of reinforcing bars 17- by welds or the like. Upstanding guides 19 and 20 are secured to the bottom wall adjacent to front sidewall 12.

A flat, wire mesh screening 21 is disposed on and is secured to the bottom frame to support parts which are disposed in the containers compartment. A pair of parallel, U-shaped members or support brackets 22 are secured beneath the bottom frame and have a pair of upstanding brace members 23 secured thereto and to a respective bar 16. Downwardly facing and horizontally spaced notches 24 are formed in the bracemembers to adapt them for stacking purposes hereinafter described.

An angle bar 25 is secured to the bottom frame at each corner of the container and terminates at its lower end at a generally conically shaped pedestal 26 extending vertically below bottom wall 11. Back sidewall 14 comprises a channel bar 27, secured to parallel channel bars 28 and bars 16 and 25. Bars 16, 25, 27 and 28 are thus structurally integrated to define a rigid rectangular frame for each sidewall 13-15 with each frame having a flat, wire mesh screening 21 secured thereon.

Front sidewall or gate 12 comprises a wire mesh screening 29, having a lateral width slightly less than the lateral distance between adjacent angle bars 25, secured to a pair of vertically spaced and horizontally disposed rods or slide members 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the ends of the transversely extending rods comprise slide means normally positioned in first parallel guide portions 31 of a continuous track guide means, disposed vertically along the sides of front .sidewall 12. Each guide portion 31 is defined between a flange of a respective front angle bar 25 and a parallel flange of a second angle bar 32 secured thereto (FIG. 3).

The continuous guide means further comprises horizontally disposed and parallel guide portions 33 (one shown) each defined between parallel rods 34 secured to a respective channel bar 28 (FIG. 4). As illustrated by phantom lines in FIG. 2, the movable front sidewall is thusadapted for movement from its normal, vertically disposed closed position to a horizontally disposed open position at the top of the container.

FIG. 5 illustrates .two containers 10 and 10- stacked on each other by engaging each pedestal 26 of upper container 10' with a socket defined at the upper end of a respective angle bar 25 of container 10 which is positioned thereunder. Container 10' comprises a modification of container 10 wherein a back sidewall 12' thereof has been constructed like front sidewall 12 (shown in its open position) to be moved to an open position in a common guide means. Such guide means would, of course, duplicate parallel guide portions 31 on the sides of second movable sidewall or gate 12. The containers are shown stacked on a conventional tub-like container T, having hairpins H (one shown) secured thereon to engage notches 24 of each overlying support member 23.

It should be noted that containers 10 and 10, due to their wire mesh bottom wall and sidewall construction, are adapted to havetheir retained parts washed or otherwise suitably cleaned without removing such parts from the container. In addition, movable sidewalls 12 and 12' facilitate removal of the parts while the containers remain insitu. The containers can be handled by a fork-lift truck, a platform lift truck or by pallet jacks. For example, the open box-like construction of the containers facilitates reception of the tines of a fork-lift truck thereunder, on any one of its four sides, for carrying purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. An open top container comprising a horizontally 5 disposed bottom wall,

bottom wall to define a storage compartment in said container, each of said bottom and sidewalls comprising a rigid rectangular frame including a plurality of vertically and horizontally disposed bars,

a fourth vertically disposed sidewall comprising a rigid rectangular frame including a plurality of vertically and horizontally disposed bars extending substantially the full height of said container but having a width slightly less than the width of said container,

continuous guide means, comprising first parallel guide portions disposed interiorly on a pair of said vertically disposed bars at said one sidewall and second parallel guide portions disposed interiorly on a pair of said horizontally disposed bars at the top of said container,

slide means secured to opposite sides of said fourth sidewall, a given distance below the top thereof and engaging said guide means to permit movement thereof from its normal, vertically disposed closed position to a horizontally disposed open position at the top of said container and upstanding guide means rigidly mounted on the exterior of the edge of said bottom wall which corresponds to the bottom edge of said fourth sidewall when in its normal vertically disposed closed position, said upstanding guide means having a vertical height less than said given distance of said slide means below the top of said fourth sidewall whereby said bottom edge of said fourth sidewall is received behind said upstanding guide means when said fourth wall is in its normal vertically disposed closed position to rigidly restrain said fourth sidewall against horizontal forces exerted outwardly thereon from the interior of said container, and whereby said fourth sidewall may be raised vertically said given distance to disengage said bottom edge thereof from said upstanding guide means before it is pivoted to said horizontally disposed open position thereof at the top of said container by the engagement between said slide means thereon and said continuous guide means.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein each of said bottom and sidewalls further comprises wire mesh screening secured to a respective one of said frames to fully cover the same.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein said slide means comprises at least one slide member secured to and extending transversely across the full width of said one sidewall to have its ends disposed in said guide means.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein two of said slide members are secured to said one sidewall in horizontally disposed and vertically spaced relationship thereon.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein each of said vertically disposed bars constitutes an angle bar terminating at its lower end at a pedestal extending vertically below saidbottom wall and terminating at its upper end at a socket constructed to receive a pedestal of another container stacked thereon.

6. The container of claim 1 further comprising a pair of parallel support brackets secured to said container, beneath said bottom wall, to define enlarged openings therethrough adapted to receive the tines of a fork-lift truck therein.

7. The container of claim 6 further comprising a brace secured between each of said support brackets and said bottom wall and having downwardly facing and horizontally spaced notches formed thereon adapted to engage av hairpin bracket of an underlying container therein.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein a front sidewall and a parallel back sidewall of said container are each movably mounted thereon by means of said guide means and said slide means. 

1. An open top container comprising a horizontally disposed bottom wall, three vertically disposed sidewalls each extending vertically substantially the full height and width of said container and connected together and to said bottom wall to define a storage compartment in said container, each of said bottom and sidewalls comprising a rigid rectangular frame including a plurality of verTically and horizontally disposed bars, a fourth vertically disposed sidewall comprising a rigid rectangular frame including a plurality of vertically and horizontally disposed bars extending substantially the full height of said container but having a width slightly less than the width of said container, continuous guide means, comprising first parallel guide portions disposed interiorly on a pair of said vertically disposed bars at said one sidewall and second parallel guide portions disposed interiorly on a pair of said horizontally disposed bars at the top of said container, slide means secured to opposite sides of said fourth sidewall, a given distance below the top thereof and engaging said guide means to permit movement thereof from its normal, vertically disposed closed position to a horizontally disposed open position at the top of said container and upstanding guide means rigidly mounted on the exterior of the edge of said bottom wall which corresponds to the bottom edge of said fourth sidewall when in its normal vertically disposed closed position, said upstanding guide means having a vertical height less than said given distance of said slide means below the top of said fourth sidewall whereby said bottom edge of said fourth sidewall is received behind said upstanding guide means when said fourth wall is in its normal vertically disposed closed position to rigidly restrain said fourth sidewall against horizontal forces exerted outwardly thereon from the interior of said container, and whereby said fourth sidewall may be raised vertically said given distance to disengage said bottom edge thereof from said upstanding guide means before it is pivoted to said horizontally disposed open position thereof at the top of said container by the engagement between said slide means thereon and said continuous guide means.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein each of said bottom and sidewalls further comprises wire mesh screening secured to a respective one of said frames to fully cover the same.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein said slide means comprises at least one slide member secured to and extending transversely across the full width of said one sidewall to have its ends disposed in said guide means.
 4. The container of claim 3 wherein two of said slide members are secured to said one sidewall in horizontally disposed and vertically spaced relationship thereon.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein each of said vertically disposed bars constitutes an angle bar terminating at its lower end at a pedestal extending vertically below said bottom wall and terminating at its upper end at a socket constructed to receive a pedestal of another container stacked thereon.
 6. The container of claim 1 further comprising a pair of parallel support brackets secured to said container, beneath said bottom wall, to define enlarged openings therethrough adapted to receive the tines of a fork-lift truck therein.
 7. The container of claim 6 further comprising a brace secured between each of said support brackets and said bottom wall and having downwardly facing and horizontally spaced notches formed thereon adapted to engage a hairpin bracket of an underlying container therein.
 8. The container of claim 1 wherein a front sidewall and a parallel back sidewall of said container are each movably mounted thereon by means of said guide means and said slide means. 